novelraw Chapter 42 Death, Public Opinion, and Money
Chapter 42 Death, Public Opinion, and Money
Thursday morning.
The sky over Qixin District seemed to be shrouded in a thick layer of dark clouds.
Even the sweet scent of artificial magic that permeates the campus year-round has turned bitter today.
After waking up at home, Gu Bai was invited to the conference room on the top floor of the teaching building by Xia Zhi, who was waiting for him.
They walked in silence. Xia Zhi's expression was more tense than usual, and her delicate and cold face showed obvious fatigue. Even her long orange hair looked somewhat dull.
Upon arrival, pushing open the heavy, soundproof door to the top-floor conference room, a refreshing scent mixed with the aroma of minty stimulants wafted out.
A holographic projector and leftover cold tea were scattered haphazardly on the large circular conference table. Several Qixin executives, their eyes bloodshot, hurriedly left through the side door. Clearly, a fierce all-night meeting had just ended here.
"The meeting has just ended, Professor Gu. I'd like to explain the situation to you privately now," Xia Zhi began.
At the front of the conference room, Deputy Zhang was rubbing her temples with her eyes closed. Only when she heard Xia Zhi's voice did she slowly open her eyes:
"Gu Bai, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I've already explained the situation to my subordinates, and it will definitely not happen again."
"Alright." Gu Bai sat down, without any further pleasantries: "Tell me, what happened?"
Vice Principal Zhang pressed the remote control next to him.
Swah——
The air in the center of the conference room distorted as four huge holographic projection screens lit up simultaneously.
The photos show scenes of devastation, burning buildings, and blood-soaked streets cordoned off by police tape.
"More than ten disaster zones, including 06, 013, 044, and 051, experienced two disasters simultaneously last night."
Gu Bai's eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the screen. The situation was indeed dire; the points where a second calamity had occurred were all marked in a deep, almost blackish red.
"The casualties must have been heavy, right?" Gu Bai asked, "Especially in Area 051."
"Yes, the area most severely affected is District 051... and the reason why the inspection team did that kind of thing with Tao Zhuo yesterday is related to the magical traces on that bomb," Deputy Zhang explained.
"Traces of peach burning?"
"Yes," Deputy Zhang began, "but according to the inspection team's subsequent investigation, if Tao Zhuo really did detonate it, she would have had no chance of escaping alive. I wonder if you were aware of this..."
"..." Gu Bai remained silent, having no intention of revealing his trump cards to these people.
"In short, excluding Tao Zhuo's situation, the relevant departments will continue to investigate this matter. On the other hand, the civilian casualties in this disaster area are within a controllable range, but this is not the most fatal one."
Vice Principal Zhang rested his hands on his chin, his gaze somber: "The key issue is the collapse of public opinion."
She swiped her finger, and the ruins on the holographic screen instantly switched to a price chart of the Qixin Coin Market, the screen filled with a shocking, ghastly green.
"In just half a day, more than twenty magical girls stationed in the district died, and the Qixin Stock Index evaporated by nearly 10 billion."
Xia Zhi added from the side, her voice calm:
"The reaction to this setback has spread from the market, and public panic has been ignited. In addition to Qixin's direct propaganda matrix, the internet is now flooded with voices condemning Qixin's inadequate defense, demanding a public apology from Qixin, and even calling for a change in the management of the disaster area."
"Public pressure regarding lethal doses."
Gu Bai looked at the precipitous drop in the candlestick chart and commented calmly:
"But this is a monster that Qi Xin raised to make money. What am I supposed to do?"
At that moment, a soft whisper, as if drifting down from the clouds, suddenly rang in Gu Bai's ear:
"However, I hope you will refrain from supporting either side."
"Even though I have used some special methods, I hope you can understand."
The moment after he finished speaking, Gu Bai felt a slight chill on the side of his neck.
He glanced to the side and saw a young girl standing quietly beside him, so close that her hair almost brushed against his shoulder.
She wasn't wearing Qixin's standard school uniform, but rather an extremely gorgeous dress, with delicate red patterns embroidered on the neckline and hem, like flowers falling onto an unfinished painting.
What's most striking is her waist-length hair—
Her hair roots were pure white, and the color deepened as it flowed towards the ends, until it turned a deep, starry blue. It changed and shifted with her subtle breathing movements, as if the galaxy itself had its own unique tides on her. When the light source changed, even the hidden arcs of light within it changed shape.
When Xia Zhi saw this person appear, she lowered her head, bowed slightly, and adopted an extremely humble posture.
"Xia, don't be so reserved. After all, Qixin's future belongs to you."
The girl patted Xia Zhi's head, then turned around and walked to stand diagonally opposite Gu Bai. There was no particular emotion in her eyes, or rather, there were too many layers of emotion hidden in them to be discerned from the outside.
She gazed at Gu Bai, a flawless smile playing on her lips.
"Nice to meet you, I am the Magical Girl of Hearts," Kokoro said. "Just call me 'Kokoro'."
Gu Bai sat in the chair without getting up, calmly observing this living IP standing at the pinnacle of the magical girl system created by Qi Xin.
"Even someone like you, would special methods be used?"
Faced with Gu Bai's slightly sharp teasing, the magical girl of the heart was not annoyed. She leaned forward slightly, her gaze sweeping over Gu Bai with a hint of inquiry and deeper meaning:
"I also want to be a simple magical girl, but that would be too limiting."
She blinked gently, subtly concealing the unconscious pressure emanating from someone in a high position, transforming it into a distant intimacy. The starry blue tips of her hair swayed slightly with the movement, a fleeting arc of light flashing at her collar.
"Just like the rumors say, you're a very handsome and very dangerous person—you've just come back from the brink of death, and rightly so. Area 051, where you were yesterday, certainly wasn't peaceful."
"I accept the compliment." Gu Bai said without changing his expression, casually putting down his teacup. "But my purpose remains the same: to find that magical girl."
The magical girl covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her gaze deep: "Of course, once this trouble is over, I will definitely help you in my personal capacity."
It seemed the two weren't going to stop chatting.
Xia Zhi stepped forward at the opportune moment, blocking the line of sight between Gu Bai and the Magical Girl of Hearts.
"Teacher Gu, the morning briefing is over."
Xia Zhi's tone returned to its usual businesslike coldness, but her eyes conveyed urging: "You have a scheduled counseling session with Class 1 of Senior Three today. I'll take you back to the counseling room first."
"...good."
Gu Bai stood up, not glancing at the two people in the conference room again, and turned to walk towards the door.
The moment Gu Bai stepped out of the conference room, he could clearly feel that gaze from the heart, as if it were tangible, fixed on his back until the door closed completely.
In the corridor, the sweet smell of artificial magic essence once again filled my nostrils.
Gu Bai glanced at Xia Zhi, who was walking slightly ahead of him, and suddenly asked, "What, are you afraid I'll chat with her a little longer?"
Xia Zhi paused slightly, without turning around, her voice low, just loud enough for the two of them to hear:
"Even those without magic will find themselves drawn to the magical girl of the heart; it's one of her inherent magics."
Upon hearing this warning, Gu Bai checked his body and found that there were no other emotions; the emptiness remained as always.
Never mind, I'll go back first.
Just then, a sound rang out.
It had no direction, nor did it come from any end of the corridor; it came directly from the depths of his mind, like the echo of a pebble gently thrown into a well whose depth had never been measured.
Come find me.
The voice that had been echoing in Yu Gubai's heart paused for a moment.
There was something indescribable in that pause, like someone making a final check on the other person's face before saying something they've been waiting to say for a long time.
Come to me, I know who you're looking for...